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The Australian government has revealed that 30GB of defence data was stolen in an extensive cyberattack on a government contractor (BBC News). The attack, which began in July 2016, was not detected until November that year. Defence Industry Minister Christopher Pyne says the attack, which has been described as "extensive and extreme" does not represent a threat to national security. The attacker, dubbed "Alf", has not been identified.

Facebook-owned VR firm Oculus is to release a cordless, standalone headset called Oculus Go, designed to "bridge the gap" between powerful PC-connected headsets and portable smartphone-driven VR (WIRED). The lightweight headset will have spatial audio and a fast-switch LCD screen with a 2560×1440 resolution. Oculus Go development kits will start shipping in November, before a mainstream release early in 2018. Meanwhile the price of the existing Oculus Rift and Touch controller pack has been permanently reduced to $399 and the company has open-sourced the schematics for its Rift DK2 development kit.

In an interview with The Independent, Apple CEO Tim Cook has said that augmented reality is the future of technology, but that we've got a while to wait before it can be effectively implemented in a headset (Ars Technica). Cook said that he doesn't think that "anything will be untouched" by the AR as it develops but that, like the early app ecosystem, it'll take a while to get there. Speaking of AR headsets, such as Microsoft's HoloLens, he said: "The technology itself doesn't exist to do that in a quality way. "

Amazon has launched a new Kindle Oasis, equipped with the company's largest, highest-resolution Paperwhite display (WIRED). It's also the first waterproof Kindle, which, considering many Kindle faithful use the device on holiday by swimming pools and on seashores, has been a long time coming. You can choose from three models: the 8GB Kindle Oasis is £230, while it is £260 for the 32GB model - a 32GB with free cellular connectivity comes in at £320. All are available for pre-order today and ship on 31 October.

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Astronomers have detected around the dwarf planet Haumea, along with a wealth of other data about the body, one of a host of trans-Neptunian objects that occupy the further reaches of our solar system (Ars Technica). The observations include a new size estimate, with the potato-shaped body's long axis measuring at least 2,322km. However, its uneven shape puts Haumea's status as a dwarf planet into question as, like other planets, dwarf planets have to have sufficient gravity to take on a rounded shape in order to meet the definition.

Now in its fifth year, WIRED Next Generation returns to London's Tobacco Dock on November 4 with an incredible range of speakers – from artists and musicians merging creativity and technology, to coders and designers exploring new territories. Perfect for school groups, parents and children, and associations looking for a field day for their teenagers, this event focuses on science, technology and more.

Adding to allegations that Kaspersky's antivirus software has been compromised by Russian government hackers, The New York Times reports that Israeli government hackers attempting to penetrate the antivirus firm "looked on in real time as Russian government hackers searched computers around the world for the code names of American intelligence programs" (TechCrunch). While German security services say that they've not detected any of the reported threats in Kaspersky's software, the situation is bleak for the antivirus firm, which depends on the trust of its customers to do business.

Soon, thousands of people might be installing recording devices in their own cars, hoping to make some extra cash and, in the process, contributing to the next great crowdsourced project: a ridiculously detailed and constantly updated map of the world’s roads, readable only by the vast swarm of self-driving cars that will populate our byways (WIRED). The device is made by a San Francisco-based startup called Mapper, which comes out of stealth today after a year of development. The company’s maps are meant for machines, not humans, and when you see them rendered, they are made up of glowing pixels where objects, lane markers, and traffic signals are delineated by rough shapes and tell-tale colours. These are the maps of the future and self-driving cars can’t operate without them.

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SpaceX has successfully launched and landed a third reused, 'flight proven' rocket, adding weight to its plans to save on future launch causes by reusing launch hardware (Ars Technica). The reused Falcon 9's payload was the EchoStar 105/SES-11 satellite, which was deployed into geostationary orbit. The rocket was then landed at sea on one of SpaceX's droneship barges.

Writing for The Guardian, conservationist Carl Safina argues that humans' cultural denial of the emotions of other species has a negative impact on the conversation and wellbeing of endangered species such as elephants. Writing in response to the heavy-handed removal of elephant calves from their families for exhibition in zoos, he says: "Brain science, evolutionary biology, and behavioural science now show that elephants, humans, and many other animals share a near-identical nervous system and likely experience near-identical basic emotions. Human and elephant brains are bathed in the same chemicals that create mood and motivation in us. "

Hue and cry about Apple’s “planned obsolescence” have burbled up for years, at one point gracing even the pages of The New York Times Magazine. But a new look at historic iPhone performance data disproves the notion for good. Does your iPhone run a little slower than it used to, just in time for the iPhone 8? Maybe. If you’re blaming Apple, though, you’re barking up the wrong corporate monolith.

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How Microsoft got its groove back. This month we go inside Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella's mission to transform one of the world's largest technology companies. We also report from Tokyo on art collective teamLab's unique creative process and its ambitious plan to turn the whole world into a canvas. And we visit adidas's new Speedfactory in Bavaria, where robots can make every single pair of shoes unique. Out in print and digital. Subscribe now and save.